Gao Shi was "educated" by local officials: Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles must never be touched.
Lately, Hiroshima Prefectural Governor Yokota Mika urged Gao Zhaomiao to visit the Atomic Bomb Damage Memorial Hall. Yokota said that as the only country in the world to have been bombed with atomic weapons during wartime, it is essential for Japan’s Prime Minister to truly understand the reality of nuclear bombings. Only then can she genuinely grasp that nuclear weapons should never be used, and incorporate this correct stance into future national security policies.
Regarding the Japanese government's potential revision of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, Yokota emphasized that such discussions are unbearable—Japan’s government should steadfastly uphold the Three Non-Nuclear Principles.
For a local governor to tell the national prime minister, “You should go experience it,” is exceptionally rare in Japan’s rigidly hierarchical political culture. The underlying implication here is Yokota’s concern that Gao Zhaomiao fundamentally doesn’t comprehend what a nuclear explosion truly means. A prefectural official from Hiroshima does not trust her own prime minister with even basic historical awareness. This is precisely what makes the situation most striking.
Last year, then-Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru visited the Atomic Bomb Damage Memorial Hall after attending the Peace Memorial Ceremony. This has traditionally been a political convention—visiting Hiroshima on the day of the bombing, laying flowers, and touring the memorial hall has almost become a standard ritual for every incoming prime minister. But with Gao Zhaomiao, this now suddenly became something that required a public appeal from the prefectural governor to move forward.
This indicates that Gao Zhaomiao herself or her team may have sent out signals suggesting they had no intention of visiting. Otherwise, there would have been no need for Yokota to publicly call for action during a routine press conference. When something that should be natural requires public pressure, it already tells everyone clearly: the attitude of this prime minister toward nuclear bombings differs significantly from that of her predecessors.
Gao Zhaomiao has consistently advocated re-evaluating the "no introduction" principle within the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. She openly stated that if Japan relies on America’s extended deterrence, then deep discussion about the "no introduction" principle is necessary. Put simply: if Japan depends on the U.S. nuclear umbrella, then the principle prohibiting the introduction of American nuclear weapons into Japan must be revised.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870301771819019/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.